The origin of ethnonym “cumans”: data of chronicles and opinions of researchers

Abstract

The problem of the origin of the name "Cumans' in historiography to this day causes scientific discussions. There are different views and assumptions of scientists regarding the question of the emergence of this term. In Russian chronicles "cumans' are known under the name "saracins' and "cumans", in eastern sources they are known under the name "cypchaki", in European — "cumans", "falons' and "fins". Some scholars believed that the name of this people was translated as "robber", or "hunter", as they often raided Russian lands. Other researchers claimed that the name "Cumans' led its origin from the word "field" and meant "field". Third scholars have agreed that the main criterion for translating this term is color. At the same time, the authors "opinions on this issue differed: some translated the term as "light yellow" or "pale yellow", others as "blue". The fourth researchers believed that the term "Cumans' had a Nogai basis for appearance and had acquired a mockery, despicable meaning with regard to this people. Pechenegs and Torquay called the Cumans so, because they were broken up by them and subsequently fled to the Russian borders. Some scientists claimed that this term appeared for the first time on the Right Bank of the Dnieper, as for Russians these nomads posed a threat and, therefore, were inhabitants of that, foreign coast.